Design of a Cost-Effective Ultrasound Force Sensor and Force Control System for Robotic Extra-Body Ultrasound Imaging

Area of Science:

• Medical Robotics
• Biomedical Engineering
• Diagnostic Imaging

Background:

• Ultrasound imaging offers safety and real-time visualization but suffers from operator variability impacting quality.
• Robot-assisted ultrasound promises improved consistency, precision, and speed, potentially lowering costs and human error.
• Effective force control is vital for robotic ultrasound, yet current systems are limited by expensive sensors and accessibility.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a cost-effective, accessible robotic ultrasound system with precise force control.
• To integrate autonomous capabilities including patient localization and automated scanning path planning.
• To validate the system's performance and safety in phantom and human volunteer studies.

Main Methods:

• Designed and implemented a low-cost, 3D-printed force sensor for robotic ultrasound.
• Developed a hybrid position-force control strategy for autonomous scanning.
• Integrated patient-to-robot registration, automated path planning, and multi-sensor data fusion.
• Validated the system using an abdominal aortic aneurysm phantom and healthy volunteers.

Main Results:

• The system successfully performed autonomous patient localization, target acquisition, and optimal contact force maintenance.
• During volunteer testing, 65% of applied forces fell within the optimal range for good image quality within a 1-minute scan.
• Volunteers reported no discomfort or pain, indicating a safe and well-tolerated procedure.

Conclusions:

• The developed robotic ultrasound system demonstrates potential for safe, precise, and autonomous imaging.
• The cost-effective force sensor and control strategy enhance accessibility for robotic ultrasound applications.
• This technology could lead to more reproducible and reliable ultrasound diagnostics in clinical settings.